The Impact of Oil Price on the Growth, Inflation, Unemployment and Budget Deficit of Vietnam

In oil exporting countries, especially OPEC members, oil price fluctuation has significant impacts on their economies. Herein, just a drop in the oil price causes directly many adverse effects, such as inflation, falls in economic growth, and increases in unemployment. However with a country which not only exports crude oil but also imports petroleum as Vietnam, it is not easy to determine falling or a rising oil prices is beneficial to the economy. Therefore, this paper aims to carry out a numerical analysis on the influences of oil prices on the macroeconomic variables of Vietnam, including inflation, growth rate, budget deficit and unemployment, during a period from 2000 to 2015. By using a vector auto regression (VAR) model, it is realized that a rise in oil prices would lead to higher inflation and budget deficit in Vietnam while its impacts on the GDP growth and unemployment are unclear. Keywords: oil price, Vietnam, impulse response, variance decomposition JEL Classifications: E31, O47, Q

The role of risk factors, partner compatibility, organizational creativity and co-creation value on firm performance: evidence from SMEs in Vietnam*

Ovo istraživanje analizira kako rizik i kompatibilnost partnera utječu na organizacijsku kreativnost, vrijednost zajedničkog stvaranja i na uspješnost tvrtke u gospodarstvu u razvoju. Metoda PLS-SEM korištena je za obradu i procjenu skupa podataka koji se sastoji od 454 važeća slučaja vlasnika nekretnina, izvršnih direktora, potpredsjednika, pomoćnika i voditelja odjela malih i srednjih poduzeća u Vijetnamu. Rezultati su potvrdili veze između varijabli rizika, kompatibilnosti partnera, organizacijske kreativnosti, vrijednosti zajedničkog stvaranja i uspješnosti tvrtke. Ova studija dodatno unapređuje dosadašnju bazu znanja u području odabira partnera i pruža vrijedne uvide koji se mogu primijeniti u menadžerskom kontekstu. Tvrtke moraju uzeti u obzir vanjske čimbenike poput rizika i kompatibilnosti partnera kako bi poboljšale organizacijsku kreativnost, vrijednost zajedničkog stvaranja i učinak tvrtke. Iako su faktori rizika, kompatibilnosti partnera, organizacijske kreativnosti, vrijednosti zajedničkog stvaranja i poslovne uspješnosti privukli značajnu pozornost u akademskim krugovima na globalnoj razini, postoji manjak studija koje istražuju međuodnose između ovih pet fenomena. Ovo je istraživanje jedno od početnih istraživanja koje predstavlja cjeloviti model koji pojašnjava međusobne veze između različitih kategorija.This research aims to analyze how risk and compatibility between partners affect organizational creativity, co-creation value, and firm performance in a developing economy. The PLS-SEM method was utilized to process and evaluate a dataset of 454 valid cases from property owners, chief executives, vice presidents, broad assistants, and department managers of SMEs in Vietnam. The results validated the connections between risk variables, partner compatibility, organizational creativity, co-creation value, and firm performance. This study further enhances the current knowledge base in the realm of partner selection and provides valuable insights that can be applied in managerial contexts. Companies must consider external factors like risk and partner compatibility to improve organizational creativity, co-creation value, and firm performance. While risk factors, partner compatibility, organizational creativity, co-creation value, and business performance have garnered significant attention in academic circles globally, there is a shortage of studies exploring the interrelationships among these five phenomena together. This research is one of the initial studies that presents a complete model elucidating the interconnections between different categories

SEASONAL VARIATION OF PHYTOPLANKTON FUNCTIONAL GROUPS IN TUYEN LAM RESERVOIR, CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, VIETNAM

Seasonal changes in freshwater phytoplankton assemblages at Tuyen Lam Reservoir in the Central Highlands of Vietnam were classified into 23 functional groups based on physiological, morphological, and ecological characteristics. A total of 168 species were recorded during 10 surveys from 2015 to 2019 at 7 sampling sites, with Chlorophyta dominating in number of species. Phytoplankton abundance varied from 0.18×105 to 21.2×105 cells/L during the study period, mainly due to cyanobacteria. Seven of the 23 functional groups were considered to be dominant (relative density > 5%).  The dominant functional groups were groups M and G in the dry season and groups M, G, P, and E in the rainy season. Group M (Microcystis aeruginosa) was the most common in both seasons, while group P (Closterium, Staurastrum, Aulacoseira), group E (Dinobryon, Synura), and group G (Sphaerocystis, Eudorina) were more common in the rainy season. The Shannon diversity index (H¢) showed that phytoplankton communities were relatively diverse and that most of the study sites were lightly polluted. However, the ecological status has deteriorated at some locations due to the overgrowth of group M, leading to eutrophication in this reservoir. This study highlights the usefulness of functional groups in the study of seasonal changes in phytoplankton dynamics. Functional groups are applied for the first time at Tuyen Lam Reservoir and can be used to predict early-stage cyanobacterial blooms in future studies

Comparative study of the analgesic effects of Bungarus fasciatus snake venom from Vinh Phuc and Tien Giang Provinces of Vietnam

Purpose: To determine the analgesic activity of Bungarus fasciatus venoms and their fractions from two Vietnamese Provinces. Methods: Male Swiss Albino mice were randomly divided into three groups containing 8 to 10 mice each. Control group was injected subcutaneously with normal saline, standard group received aspirin solution (50 mg/kg) perorally, and study group received a solution of crude venom or isolated fractions in physiological saline. To determine analgesic activity, acetic acid writhing and tail immersion tests were used. The venoms were separated by liquid chromatography and the analgesic activity of the fractions was analyzed. Results: Both venoms showed analgesic effect in the acetic acid writhing test, but only the venom from Tien Giang showed analgesic effect in the tail immersion test. The bioactive fractions of Vinh Phuc and Tien Giang venoms were significantly different, with most of Vinh Phuc venom fractions being more active (p < 0.05). Thus, 35 min after the injection, the number of writhings decreased from 15 - 16 in the control to 0.85 ± 0.34 for the BF-4VS (Vinh Phuc) fraction compared to 2.67 ± 1.20 (p < 0.05) for the BF-4DT (Thien Giang) fraction. Two proteins with analgesic activity were isolated from Vinh Phuc venom, and one with greater activity matched the known B. fasciatus phospholipase A2. Conclusion: The analgesic activity of two samples of B. fasciatus venom from two different provinces in Vietnam reveal that their pharmacological profiles differ. The isolates can be explored as leads in the development of new analgesic agents

The Effect of Awareness on the Behavior of Advertisement on Social Network Basis for Cosmetic Products Line

The study examines the factors affecting the perception and interaction behavior with advertising cosmetic products. The authors used SPSS and Smart PLS software to conduct statistics and analyze survey results. The results of data analysis show that there are 5 factors that directly affect the perception of avoidance: Health concerns; Doubts about advertising intermediaries; Privacy concerns; Information value; Obstructing cognitive goals. The factor that directly affects Avoidant Behavior is Perception of avoidance, there are 5 factors that indirectly affect Avoidant Behavior: Health concerns; Doubts about advertising intermediaries; Privacy concerns; Information value; Obstructing cognitive goals. At the same time, the research also shows that negative experiences do not affect the impact process from Avoidant Perception to Avoidant Behavior. This study has important practical elements for businesses, managers and even social network users in reducing users' awareness and avoidance of advertising

Arsenate reductase gene from Pityrogramma calomelanos L. enhances tolerance to arsenic in tobacco

Arsenic (As) contamination in soil, water and air is an alarming issue worldwide and has serious effects on human health and environment. Arsenic is a naturally occurring element found in rocks, soil, and water, and exposure to high levels of arsenic can lead to a range of health problems. The effects of arsenic contamination can also be felt in the environment, as it can harm plants and animals and disrupt ecological systems. The major purpose of this study was to produce transgenic plants with improved tolerance to and accumulation of arsenic via transformation of arsenate reductase gene (ArsC) into tobacco genome. Transgenic plants were screen by PCR and southern blot. Further, their tolerance and accumulation to arsenic were evaluated. In the result, we have cloned, characterized, and transformed the ArsC gene from Pityrogramma calomelanos L. (PcArsC). Its phylogenetic analysis revealed 99% homology to ArsC gene in GenBank (accession number X80057.1). Moreover, Southern blot analysis showed that ArsC gene was integrated into the tobacco genome as a single-copy. These single-copy transgenic lines showed much higher tolerance to and accumulation of As than wild type, with no other phenotypes observed. These results demonstrated that Pityrogramma calomelanos ArsC gene can improve arsenic tolerance and accumulation in transgenic tobacco lines. Thus, using Pityrogramma calomelanos L. ArsC gene for genetic engineering has potential implications in the decontamination of arsenic-containing soil

INFLUENCE OF CULTIVATION OF CHLORELLA VULGARIS ON MICROORGANISMS IN SEAFOOD WASTEWATER

Microalgae cultivation in wastewater for many purposes has been investigated recently decade ago. In this study, Chlorella vulgaris was chosen to culture for examination of its influences on microorganisms of seafood wastewater in particular aerobic bacteria, Coliform and E. coli. The microalgae cultivation was realized in Erlenmeyer flasks containing seafood wastewater medium. Another was also grown in original medium called Sueoka medium for control. All experiments were set up until almost all Chlorella vulgaris decanted or flocculated in the bottom of flasks. The changes of bacteria counts including aerobic bacteria, Coliform and E. coli were measured to evaluate the impact of cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris on them in this sewage. Otherwise, the growth of microalgae has been also recorded for evaluating the effect of a new medium on metabolism of Chlorella vulgaris. The results showed that the bacteria counts were significantly reduced after day 3 of microalgae culture. These results have been calculated the efficiency of aerobic bacteria, Coliform and E. coli elimination out of wastewater medium represented approximately 70%, 81% and 90% respectively. These eliminations provided evidences of difficult metabolism of bacteria under the presence of microalgae as like as Chlorella vulgaris. In other words, the symbiosis of microalgae and bacteria in sewage could prevent the raising of bacteria counts

Sports Recommender Systems: Overview and Research Issues

Sports recommender systems receive an increasing attention due to their potential of fostering healthy living, improving personal well-being, and increasing performances in sport. These systems support people in sports, for example, by the recommendation of healthy and performance boosting food items, the recommendation of training practices, talent and team recommendation, and the recommendation of specific tactics in competitions. With applications in the virtual world, for example, the recommendation of maps or opponents in e-sports, these systems already transcend conventional sports scenarios where physical presence is needed. On the basis of different working examples, we present an overview of sports recommender systems applications and techniques. Overall, we analyze the related state-of-the-art and discuss open research issues.Comment: Article under review in the Journal of Intelligent Information Systems (Springer JIIS